With lots of hidden vegetables, lean ground turkey and plenty of seasoning, these ground turkey sloppy joes are a healthier sloppy joe recipe you’ll want to enjoy again and again. Plus, they’re on the table in not much more than 30 minutes!
Hey friends!
Today I’m sharing another easy ground turkey recipe with you guys.
Hubby and I love these ground turkey sloppy joes. They’re unbelievably simple to whip up and are so delish.
What I especially love about these bay boys is they have hidden veggies! You get an extra dose of goodness from shredded zucchini and carrot. So for those picky eaters, you could sneak some extra nutrition. How cool is that?
Ground turkey is not only relatively budget friendly, it’s lean and super tasty!
I tested out these ground turkey sloppy joes a whole bunch of times and now I’m so happy to be sharing with you guys.
Why You’ll love These Turkey Sloppy Joes
- They’re made with a leaner protein than the classic
- Made in one pot for easy clean up
- They sneak in veggies for extra nutrition
- They reheat really well
- The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd
- Not considering the bun or garnishes, these are gluten free and dairy free
- Of course, they taste delicious!
How to Make these Healthier Sloppy Joes?
Full instructions on how to make sloppy joes are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics –
STEP 1: GET THOSE AROMATICS & VEGETABLES GOIN’! (i.e. hidden veggies)
Cook onion and garlic until softened a little. Then, add bell pepper, carrot and zucchini and cook just a little.
STEP 2: ADD GROUND TURKEY ALONG WITH SEASONING
Add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon or potato masher and heat until turkey is cooked through.
Tip—>Ground turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Use a food thermometre to be sure!
STEP 3: GET SAUCY!
Pour in tomato paste, tomato sauce, bbq sauce and water and simmer for a little until you’ve reach your desired consistency.
STEP 4: ASSEMBLE
Pile the ground turkey sloppy joes mixture onto buns and garnish to your heart’s content!
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Garnish Options
- Cheese. If you are using cheese, place sloppy joes (without top bun) on a sheet pan in the oven on broil for a minute or so just to melt (melting optional, of course).
- Coleslaw or shredded cabbage (as I did here)
- Sliced pickle
- Pickled red onion or thinly sliced raw onion
- Pickled hot peppers from Chatelaine or thinly sliced fresh ones
What to Serve with Sloppy Joes
- Fries, wedges or tater tots
- Pesto potatoes
- Side salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad
- A big ol’ pickle
- Potato chips
- A classic tomato soup
How Long Do Leftovers Last?
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days. After that, toss.
How to Reheat Leftovers?
Reheating this sloppy joe recipe is easy peasy! Place the mixture into a pan on medium heat. Then, add a little water or broth (to loosen). Cook until everything is heated through and you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Can I Make These Low Carb?
For sure! If you want low carb sloppy joes, nix the bun and go for lettuce wraps. Boston lettuce works great here!
More Tips & Variations
I prefer things not too too loose/saucy, but if you want a looser consistency, simply add more water or broth and reduce to your desired level of saucy-ness. As I always say, you do what you enjoy best!
For added kick, mix in more chili flakes.
Don’t have balsamic vinegar? Mix in some cider vinegar instead.
If you don’t happen to have a zucchini on hand (or prefer not to use), simply replace with more carrot.
To reduce sodium, use ‘low sodium’ or ‘no salt added’ varieties of tomato sauce and tomato paste, should you prefer.
Other Easy Sandwich Recipes You May Enjoy
- Vegan Sloppy Joes – Made with veggie ‘meat’ crumbles and lentils, these are a delicious twist on a classic!
- Ground Turkey Burger – On the table in less than 30 minutes, these easy ground turkey burgers are always a favourite and can be garnished to taste.
- Roast Beef Sliders – With caramelized onions and plenty of cheese, these are always a hit at parties and get-togethers.
Hope you love this turkey sloppy joe recipe!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon,
~Dawn
Make this healthier sloppy joe recipe? That’s awesome! Love it if you left a comment and rating below. Many thanks, you guys! XO
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Turkey Sloppy Joes {with hidden veggies}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion -minced
- 3 cloves garlic -minced
- 1 bell pepper -small dice
- 1 carrot -grated, about 1 cup
- 1 zucchini -about 1.5 cup
- 1 lb ground turkey -or 454 grams
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt -or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes -optional
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 398 ml tomato sauce -a little over 1.5 cups
- 2-3 tbsp bbq sauce -your favourite variety
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 burger buns
Instructions
- On the stove top in a large pan on medium heat add olive oil.
- When shimmering, add onion and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes until onion has softened.
- Stir in bell pepper, carrot and zucchini. Cook 3-5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper and chili flakes (if using). Break up turkey with a spoon or potato masher and cook until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, bbq sauce and 1/4 cup of water (rinse out your can of tomatoes). Cook about 8-10 minutes or until you've reached your desired consistency. Portion on buns and garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- I prefer things not too too loose/saucy, but if you want a looser consistency, simply add more water or broth and reduce to your desired level of saucy-ness. As I always say, you do what you enjoy best!
- For added kick, mix in more chili flakes.
- Don’t have balsamic vinegar? Mix in some cider vinegar instead.
- If you don’t happen to have a zucchini on hand (or prefer not to use), simply replace with more carrot.
- To reduce sodium, use ‘low sodium’ or ‘no salt added’ varieties of tomato sauce and tomato paste, should you prefer.
Nutrition (estimate only)
Slop, sloppy joe!! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself there…haha.) I love how you added zucchini in these to bulk ’em up a bit. Tricky, but excellent idea. I love sloppy joes! These are the epitome of comfort food…and you know we could all use some comfort food in these crazy times. Lookin’ delicious, my friend!
Lol!! Totally! Thanks David 🙂 Have a great week!
These look so good and I happen to have all of the ingredients on hand. Yum! Hope that you, your hubby and Riley are doing well.
Awesome! Thanks Marissa! Same to you 🙂
I’m always up for hiding veggies from you know who Dawn! And we both totally enjoy sloppy joes! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
Lol! Thanks Mary Ann! Enjoy 🙂
We always make sloppy joes with ground turkey, but the sneaky carrots and zucchini are a great idea. I could get those in there and my hubby would never be the wiser! haha 😉 I hope you and your family are doing well and staying safe. Have a good weekend Dawn!
Thanks Leanne! Same to you :)!